How to port a cellphone

So you’ve made the decision to switch over to the Snapfōn® family! Welcome to the club, we have membership jackets. Okay, maybe we don’t have jackets, but we do make it an easy process for you to transfer your phone number to one of our Snapfōn® mobile plans.

While this sounds great, you probably find yourself asking, do I really have to give up my phone number? After all, our phone numbers serve as a valuable point of contact for our friends and family to reach us. They can even be considered an extension of our mobile identity. Well, I have good news for you. It is possible to keep your same phone number when switching to Snapfōn®! It’s all done through a process called, “porting”.

What is porting, and what does it mean to port a device? Simply put, porting is the process of transferring a phone number from one provider to a different provider.

The previous carrier has to approve the request to port, or “unlock” your number to your new carrier, and your information is transferred over to your new device. All the while, you retain ownership over your number! We make it a seamless process here at Snapfōn® to switch plans.

This can be done regardless of the IP address or wireless provider. The process itself usually requires communication between the two phone companies, mainly your old carrier and your new one. The FCC requires a phone company to be able to port your number, regardless of any outstanding bill one may have. They may, however, be able to charge you a termination fee if you decide to end a contractual obligation.

Another piece of advice when it comes to porting… make sure there is no “lapse” in your phone coverage! So if you decide to switch to Snapfōn®, don’t end your contract with the previous carrier before you start your new contract. Make sure there is a bit of an “overlap” between the two.

According to the FCC website, a simple port should take about a business day to transfer your number. During that time, you may have two phones with the same number. If this happens, it will only last about a day or so. It is possible to switch your number from your landline to a cellular plan; however, this can take up to 10 business days.